Christmas

I've been ill for the best part of a fortnight so had to finish off my cards for posting in a mad rush.

This is a flat card, I try to do these at this time of year as we have relatives who are scattered about the country and the postage soon mounts up.


The main stamp is by Crafty Individuals, I've used distress inks to make the backgrounds. The snowflake stamp is by Chloe, I've roughly embossed it and added Glamour Dust in places.

Noel

Chloe stamps again, this time with vellum. The third card I made using the same two holly stamps but in different colours.
Noel stamp is also by Chloe, foliage die is by Sizzix

Holly

For this card I used the same stamps as my previous post, holly by Chloe's Creative Cards, and text by Woodware.
Instead of acetate branches I've used a Sizzix die from the Holiday Greens set.

Holly

Text stamp is by Woodware, I mis-stamped in the centre hence the positioning of the holly poinsettia.

I try to point out my mistakes to my card club ladies as I think there is usually a way of rescuing what you've done, and it can sometimes be disheartening if you think you're the only one who can't stamp properly!

The holly and branch stamps are by Chloe Endean
I've layered two different size holly, the card is a pearlescent midnight blue, not black as it looks here.

The branch has been stamped on heat-resistant acetate using Versamark and embossed with WOW embossing powder.
In the past I've struggled to stamp on acetate, using Stazon, because I find it too slippery. Chloe suggested using Versamark and embossing powder instead and it is so much easier as it's a 'grippy' ink.
It definitely does not work on normal, non heat-resistant, acetate though (ask me how I know this).

Let It Snow

Stamp is by Woodware
Sentiment die is by Tonic

Last year I bought a set three of Tonic dies, I really only wanted the other two though. This die was one of those "Can't think that I'll ever use that" items.

Recently I bought the snowmen stamp, not realising in the shop just how long it is, and actually struggled to find an acrylic block that it would fit on.

I cut the right hand side off an 8 inch card blank, using the off-cut to stamp on.

So a too-long stamp and an unwanted die later...

I tried it in the two colour ways, adding Glossy Accents and glitter to both.

I think I prefer the blue and lilac version

Birthday Book

One of my lovely craft club ladies kindly gave me the instructions to this birthday book.

It's six open-ended sleeves folded in half to make twelve pockets, one for each month of the year

I've used a calender page for each month, the idea being that you write your birthdays for that month on the back of the page.

Season's Greetings

There's a competition currently running on Phill Martin's blog, this is my entry.

I've used Phill Martin papers and stamps, the papers have been edged with his Frosty Mink colour cloud blending ink.
I made the sparkly button using a hot glue gun and loose glitter, card is 8 x 8 inches.

Rosettes

I spotted some boxes of glittery rosettes in Matalan the other day. They are with the wrapping paper and gift bags, and are on 3 for 2.
Each box has a mix of three colours, in two sizes, twelve to a box (so 36 for £4)


They are meant to be 'gift toppers' but of course I bought them for crafting.

I would have liked the large rosette to be at the bottom left on this card and the smaller ones in its place but with 'Christmas' being the longer word it wouldn't fit.
Sentiment die is Memory Box (or Poppystamps, I always get them mixed up)

Slightly different version; the sentiment stamp is by Chloe's Creative Cards and I've infilled it with glitter.
Embossing folder is Papermania.

Christmas

I've been too busy to craft recently but am trying to get going again.

A simple card to ease back in, paper and tag by Craftwork Cards. I've just added some Glamour Dust and ribbon.
I need some Christmas cards for people who have been bereaved/ had a rough year and didn't really think "Merry Christmas" was appropriate, so I quite like the sentiment on this one.

I've made some lovely friends in the crafting world. One of them, Maria, sent me this card recently (along with emergency chocolate!) so thoughtful of her. She's always there when I need a whinge :)

Merry Christmas

Stamp is by Anna Griffin
Paper is Craftwork Cards
I've scored some vertical lines down the right hand side but they're almost invisible on the pic.

Christmas Wishes

I couldn't get a decent pic of this card. It's a kraft blank and I've stamped a tree in green ink.

Then, I've stamped the stars stamp on a piece of tracing paper and over-laid it. I tried it with vellum initially but it was too thick to see through.

To finish I've stamped the sentiment, and added a strip of gold card and some cord to the spine.

Deck The Halls

Papers are by Phill Martin and I've used the matching Colour Cloud blending ink (on the edges and also to colour the sentiment from the original white)

Sentiment die is by Tonic and the others are Sue Wilson

Bauble

Bauble stamp is by Woodware. I've decoupaged it, coloured with Copics, and added Glossy Accents for a glaze.
Scalloped square dies are by Tonic.

Mum

I wanted some large sparkly centres for paper flowers and decided to make my own.
These were really simple to do, just used a hot glue gun to drop some blobs on a silicone sheet, then covered with glitter.

And this was the card I wanted the sparkly-blob centres for. It's an 8 inch easel card,  I used Go Kreate dies to make the card blank.
Papers are all Lili of the Valley, stamps are a mix of Waltzingmouse and Papermania.

Country Landscape

Country Landscape die by Memory Box
Ticket die and punch are SU
The 'snow' is chunky white embossing enamel

The card was one of our craft club projects but we needed something else to go with it. If in doubt make a box...
Sentiment die is by Tonic, holly sprays are Sue Wilson

Candi Tree

Christmas tree stamp is by Woodware, I've used card candi and some gems to decorate.

I'm not sure what brand the snowflake stamps are (you can just see them on the kraft card-blank). There's a really friendly craft shop in Kendal if you're ever in the Lake District. They do workshops there and now and again they sell off some of their old workshop stash. I picked up the set of snowflake stamps for £3, no packaging hence me not knowing who manufactures them.

I've also made a matching wine-carrier to go with the card.

Please excuse the dreadful photographs. I have asked Santa if he will teach me a few tricks with a camera. I did actually buy a new camera about sixteen months ago and have yet to take it out of the box!
Worse is that my husband (aka Santa) is a very keen photographer so I should have no excuse. He's just had one of his photos chosen for a charity calendar of the Lakes and is about to have something published in a national photography magazine, fingers crossed he can help me improve my sad little blog efforts.

Season's Greetings

I managed to find some gorgeous shimmery purple card at one of the fill-a-box places recently and knew it would be great for Christmas cards.
I've used a Docrafts embossing folder on the gold card, and stamped and heat embossed (with clear powder) on the purple using a HOTP swirl stamp.


The bauble and sentiment stamps are by Waltzingmouse, dies are by Spellbinders.
The finished card is 7 x 7 inches.

Happy Anniversary

Thanks for bearing with me!

Anniversary card for my parents (married 54 years today)

Very dull here when I took the photographs, hence the weird colours, but hopefully you get the gist.
I've used a Sue Wilson die, the sentiment stamp is by Chloe, and I've added Glamour Dust.

The metal heart clip is from my stash and I've looped some white tulle net through it.